Vehicle body construction



Nov. 23 1926.

C. MORGANA VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed May 6 vwcmtoz (Za'rdes fllwyawa,

WWI/MW /VLLVZ5MA- )VW aftoukciai Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFricE.

CHARLES 'MORGANA, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB T BRIGGS MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORBORATION OF MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE BODY CONSTRUCTION.

Application tiled MEay 24, 1926. Serial No. 111,409.

ure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slightly modified form of construction.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 is a windshield header of a vehicle body of the closed type, 2 is a windshield of conventional form, and 3 is a hinge of the piano type supporting the windshield from said header.

As shown, the header 1 is supported from the front cross member 4 of the vehicle top frame and is preferably constructed from two sheet metal stampings 5 and 6 respectively. Ihe stamping 5 is preferably channel-shape and is arranged on one edge so .that the base'7of the channel constitutes the front wall of the header, while the stamping 6 is preferably L-shape and is arranged in upright position so that the upstanding portion 8 thereof constitutes the rear wall of the header. To provide a strong and durable box-like construction to take care of weaving and twistin actions to which this structure may be su jected, the upper wall 9 of the channel stamping 5 is provided at its rear edge with an upstanding flange 10 that is secured with the upstanding. portion 8 of the L-shaped stampmg to the top cross member 4, while the base 11 of the L shaped stamping 6 is secured to the lower wall 12 of the channel stamping 5.

With the presentconstruction, one part 13 of the hin e 3 is rigidl secured to the top rail 14 of t e windshiel while the other part 15 is preferably detachably secured means of screws 16 to the lower wall of the header and is rovided at its rear edge with a depending c annel-shaped ortion 17 for supportin a panel 18 0f fa ric trimming aterial t at constitutes the interior finish or the header. As shown, this panel 18 has a backing 19-of card board t upon the base 20 of the channel 17 and at rests.

against the rear wall 8 of .the header. Thus, with this'construction, the panel 18 and its backin 19 may be quickly inserted into the channe 17 and may be secured in position by tacking an extension 21 of the fabric at the upper end of the panel to the cross frame member 4. In this connection it will be noted that the upstanding flange 22 at the rear edge of the channel 17 is m a vertical plane that is spaced from the vertical plane of the rear wall 8 of the header and that the distance between-these vertical planes is substantially equal to the thickness of the fabric panel 18 and backing 19, hence the latter will fit snugly against the header when in assembled position. Preferably, the-lower wall 12 of'the channel stamping 5 is provided at its rear edge with a depending flange 23 that is substantially parallel to the upstanding flange 22 and surface to guide the lower edge of thepanel 18 and backing 19 into the channel 17. This flange 23 also stifi'ensand reinforces the header construction. v

In Figure 3 I have shown a slight modification in which a pintleless hinge is used to connect the windshield to the header. As shown the hinge part 31 constitutes an upstanding extensionof the top rail 32 of the windshield and terminates in the rolled ortion 33 while the hinge part 34'is rovided at its forward edge with the'hooke portion 35 that embraces the rolled portion 33 and is provided at its rear edge with the upwardly openin channel portion 36 which corresponds wit the channel portion 20 and is adapted to receive the panel of trimming material inthefsame manner.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantage of my invention will be readily ap arent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that such changes maybe resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim as my invention-is:

1. The combination with a windshield header, and a anel of trimming material constituting a nish for said header, of a windshield hinge secured to said header and having a portion supporting said panel of trimming material.

2. The combination with a' windshield header, and a panel of trimming material shield hinge carrie constituting a finish for said header, of a windshield hinge carried by said header and having a channel-sha ed portion receiving an edge portion of said panel of trimming material.

3. The combination with a top frame member, and a windshield header carried thereb of a windshield hinge having a part secure to said header, and a panel of trimming material supported upon said hinge part and secured to said frame member.

4. The combination with a windshield header having an u right wall, of a windby the lower wall of said header and having a depending channelshaped portion, and a anel of trimming materialresting in said 0 annel-shaped ortion and constitutin a finish for the upright wall aforesaid of said header.

5. The combination with a windshield header having an n right wall, of a windshield hinge carrie by said header and having a channel-shaped portion, a panel of trimming material resting in said channelshaped portion and constituting a finish for the upright wall of said header, and a flange projecting from said header in substantial parallel relation to a side wall of said channel-shaped portion so that said flange can direct said panel of trimming material into said channe portion when the said panel is applied to said header.

6. The combination with a top frame member of a windshield header supported from said member and comprisin two sections, one section being channel-51am and arranged on one edge so that the base of the 'channel constitutes one wall of the header, the other section being L-shape and arranged in upright position so that the upstanding portion of the L constitutes another wall of said header.

7. The combination with a top frame member, of a windshield header supported from said member, and comprisin two sections, one section being channel-s iape, and the other section being L-shaped, the base of said L-shaped section being secured to one side wall of said channel section, and the other side wall of said channel section hav ing a flan e secured with the upstanding portion of 516 L-shaped section to said frame member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES MORGANA. 

